


Muffin the Cat

by Jessistired



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:07:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23403478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jessistired/pseuds/Jessistired
Summary: Two superheros adopt a cat, even if they deny it.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/James "Rhodey" Rhodes
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	Muffin the Cat

**Author's Note:**

> I 'finished' this a long time ago, but I think it's impossible for me to edit this to where I like it. If it feels disconjointed, that's because I wrote the third scene first, then decided to make a story out of the thing.

“You look pathetic.” Bucky laughed at James’ shivering. It seemed so uncharacteristic, but the man apparently had no cold tolerance. 

“I will put up the umbrella and let your hair get ruined by the rain,” James threatened.

That just made Bucky laugh more, “And let yourself get even colder? I doubt it.”

“Don’t underestimate my spite, Barnes.”

They were interrupted by a small mewling. They checked a nearby alleyway where it appeared the noise was coming from. There was a small gray cat, only a few months old, curled up under a dumpster trying to get a break from the rain.

Bucky and James looked at each other. Then Bucky scooped the pathetic thing up into his arm. Surprisingly, the cat didn’t try to fight it. Instead, it cuddled deeper into Bucky, looking for warmth. 

After that, the couple walked faster to their apartment where they started on warming up the cat. It wasn’t too happy when James wiped it down with a towel, but it tolerated the treatment. 

Soon, it was curled up on top of Bucky, purring nonstop from the attention it was receiving from both of the men. 

“I bet Natasha knows what we would need to take care of him.”

“We can’t keep it,” James replied.

“Why not?”

“This complex doesn’t allow pets.”

“Well, what are we going to do with him?”

“Give him to shelter.”

“Come on, doll.” Bucky held the cat up with a pout. “You’re gonna force him to go to a shelter?” Almost as if he could sense what Bucky was doing, the cat widened its eyes and gave James the saddest look he had ever seen on an animal in his entire life.

“Fine, on one condition.”

“Name it.” 

“We don’t give it a name.” James knew if they named it, they would keep it. 

  
  


“What about Natasha?” James asked as Bucky walked into the apartment. Bucky was coming back from running a few errands. He had a muffin in his hand from their favorite coffee shop. James was currently looking over paperwork on the couch. The cat sitting in his lap, occasionally demanding attention from him.

“Huh.” Bucky placed his muffin on the counter.

“Maybe she could take the cat.” For the past couple of weeks, James had been trying to find the cat a suitable home. It had not proved as easy as he thought it was going to be. Bucky, on the other hand, was more concerned with buying the cat more toys.

“She’s got her hands full with Linho.” Bucky poured some food into the cat’s bowl. “Come and get food baby.”

The cat immediately jumped off James and ran to its bowl. Bucky smiled and watched it eat for a bit, then he joined James on the couch.

“Whatcha working on?”

“Boring bureaucratic shit.” James put the papers down and leaned on Bucky’s shoulder. “But now that you’re home, I’m done.”

Bucky grinned and put his arm around James, “Good.”

They sat there in blissful silence for a few minutes until Bucky realized that he could no longer hear the cat eating. Since the cat had also not returned to the couch with Bucky and James that could only mean one thing; trouble. Bucky got off the couch, and sure enough, he saw the cat munching on his muffin. 

“That’s not yours,” He chided as he picked the cat up. The cat meowed in protest, as if Bucky were kicking him for no reason.

James chuckled. “Did that taste good?” 

Bucky handed him the cat, “Here, hold him while I clean up the mess.”

“Did you eat Bucky’s muffin? Huh?” The cat meowed again. “He says he’s innocent.”

“With all the crumbs on the counter, I find that unlikely.”

“He says he was framed.”

Bucky came back to the couch and grabbed the cat. “Come here you little thief.” The cat began to purr. “No purring I’m mad at you.” The cat purred on anyways.

  
  


It was a long day at work for James. Having a ten-minute meeting with Thaddeus Ross was enough to give anyone a migraine. A five hour one? James wanted to drop him off in the middle of the ocean. It was close to two o’clock when he got home. He attempted to open the door as quietly as possible, so he wouldn’t wake up Bucky. The door betrayed him with the smallest squeak. After about thirty seconds of standing still and listening to silence, he was satisfied that Bucky had not woken up.

The cat, which James had started calling Muffin in his head, walked up to him in a silent greeting. After James put his stuff down he started to pet Muffin’s little grey head. The cat closed its eyes in bliss.

“That’s adorable,” Said a gravelly voice. James looked up to see Bucky standing in the doorway. Even in the dark, James could see Bucky’s ridiculous bed head. 

“You should be asleep,” James said as he walked up to hug Bucky.

“Admit it, he’s growing on you,” Bucky sounded sleepy. James really hoped that he had been sleeping. 

“It doesn't matter if I like him, the landlord has a strict no pets policy.”

Bucky turned on the kitchen light to help James put his things away, “I think we can outsmart him.”

James rolled his eyes and pulled Bucky into a hug. He whispered, “We are just temporarily keeping it until we can find it a home.”

Bucky laughed, “Sure, doll,”

James continued to unpack as Bucky stood there in silence. James took a quick glance and saw that Bucky was standing there with his eyes closed. Guilt began to gnaw at James. It wasn’t too often that Bucky was able to sleep, although Muffin's presence seems to help.

“You can go ahead and go to bed, I’ll be there in a bit,”

“No, I’ll wait here for you.”

“I still have to shower.”

“I’ll wait on the bed.” 

After James finished his shower and got changed he slowly lowered himself into bed, trying not to disturb Bucky and Muffin. Bucky was facing James’s side of the bed while Muffin was curled up into his back. As soon as James laid down Muffin went right in between their chests. James smiled at the cat before closing his eyes.

“We are so keeping him,”

“Shh,”

James was not having a good morning. It had started out fine, he had the morning off to prepare for a meeting in the afternoon. Bucky had a debriefing, so it was just James and Muffin hanging out. Then Muffin threw up. James freaked out because he didn’t have any experience with keeping a cat long term, which was what he was doing at this point, or experience with a sick cat.

He attempted to contact Natasha, but she was on a mission. Then he decided to take the cat to a clinic. They hadn’t bought a carrier for Muffin because James insisted they would only need it if they kept Muffin long term. What they did have was reusable grocery bags. James put Muffin in the bag and snuck him out of the building.

Once they got into James’s car Muffin hopped out of the bag and explored around the whole way to the emergency vet clinic. At the clinic, Muffin was put back into the bag. Muffin was not pleased with this, but James sated him with head scratches. The clinic’s check-in required a name, so James put down Muffin without really thinking about it. Muffin attempted to escape to go see everyone else waiting in the clinic, but James, who was afraid of what germs Muffin could pick up, kept him still. 

After waiting for way too long, they finally got to see a vet. The vet informed James that there was probably nothing wrong with Muffin, but they were going to run a few blood tests to be sure. Taking Muffin’s blood was a four-person job, but everyone managed to not get maimed. Muffin was free to go afterwards. The vet promised to email James the results by the next day.

“Thank you,” As James was walking out he looked down at his watch for the first time in hours. He was now running late for his meeting. “Fuck.” Tony was going to kill him.

“I’m gonna be running late,” James said an hour later as he took another sip of coffee. 

“You can’t make me start the meeting by myself,” Tony complained loudly. 

James rolled his eyes, “You were literally the CEO of a billion-dollar company for years. You've probably gone to hundreds of boring meetings.”

“Yeah, and every time I was forced to be in a meeting someone else started it.”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine for a couple minutes.”

“You better have a good reason for being late, platypus.”

“Traffic is horrible and I had to take Muffin to the vet.”

“Muffin?”

“The cat, he threw up.”

“How long have you had that cat?”

“Does it matter?”

“You’ve named it.” Tony’s voice went from annoyed to amused.

“So?”

“You’re keeping it.”

James didn’t justify that with an answer. He simply hung up and left Tony to suffer alone.

Bucky stumbled into the apartment with his groceries. Luckily he only had one bagful, he’d hate to have to make more than one trip down the stairs. As he set the bag down he noticed a piece of paper that was hastily thrown onto the counter. It was a vet report for a cat named Muffin. 

The cat jumped onto the counter and began to rub his head against Bucky’s hand, begging for attention. Bucky scratched and smiled at him, “Looks like you’re staying, Muffin.” Muffin purred in agreement.

**Author's Note:**

> Idk man, I hoped you liked it. Also I know Bucky has Alpine in the comics, but I wanted the cat to be called Muffin, so he's Muffin.


End file.
